Syria ceasefire shaken but still holding

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on February 29 that the ceasefire in Syria, although shaky, is still largely maintained.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Switzerland, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed that he had received a letter from the High Negotiations Committee - representing the Syrian opposition - accusing the Syrian government and its backers Russia and Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement. The letter also called on the United Nations to specify the territories where the ceasefire would apply to prevent hostilities.

Syrian children were able to play in the streets after the ceasefire came into effect. Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Ministry also accused Saudi Arabia of continuing to incite domestic opposition factions by continuing to demand that President Bashar al-Assad have no place in future Syrian politics.

The current ceasefire is aimed at creating a favorable atmosphere for the Syrian government and opposition to return to peace talks in Geneva next week. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope that the ceasefire could be extended beyond the originally planned two weeks.

The UN also plans to use the ceasefire to rapidly deploy humanitarian aid to some 154,000 people living in besieged areas over the next five days. This assistance includes food, drinking water, medicine, hygiene items, etc.

According to VOV